MAHWAH, N.J. (10/26/16) – The Kean University men's soccer team played an entertaining but ultimately ambivalent 3-3 tied match with Ramapo College on Wednesday in the final action of the NJAC regular season.
The result means Kean finishes in a four-way tie for fourth place in the NJAC conference. Unfortunately for the Cougars, due to the league's tie-breaking pocedures they are the odd team out as the six-team NJAC Tournament begins this weekend.
The Roadrunners were also entering with hopes of playing in the postseason, but needed a win for any shot at qualifying. They will end their year 10-4-3 overall and 2-4-3 in the always-tough NJAC.
Kean got off to a rousing start; 70 seconds into the match Mathias Patino (pictured left) was set up by Kenny Rocha on a cross from the end line to the center of the box for the game's first goal.
In the 20th minute, Kazari Trought ripped a long laser to double the Kean lead to 2-0.
But the Roadrunners did an admirable job to come back on their Senior Day. Malik Lopes answered right away with a goal at 21:05, and four minutes later a header by Justin Charkowski knotted the game at two.
With less than two minutes remaining before halftime, RC's Pablo Loza scored his first goal of the season to completely flip the feeling of the game around and give Ramapo a 3-2 lead at halftime.
Early in the second half, Kean hit the post on a golden opportunity to tie the game. The Cougars continued to press and dominated the second half shot count 13-5, but it wasn't until Robert Barrera collected the rebound from Mateo Castro Arias' shot and stuck it in the goal that Kean's doggedness paid off for the tie at 61:13.
After averaging a goal every 10 minutes up till that point, the two teams were shut out over the final 28 minutes of regulation and another 20 of extra time. Overall, the Cougars outshot Ramapo 28-17 and took 11 of the game's 15 corner kicks.
Bryce Horn and Ryan Sprague earned the decisions in goal for both teams, and made five and 10 saves, respectively, in 110 minutes each.
Kean is now 14-5-1 overall and 4-4-1 in the league.
